Rustic Bread I
Ingredients: 330 grams of flour, 1 teaspoon of dry yeast, 1 teaspoon of salt, 400 ml of room temperature water
To prepare a delicious bread, we start by mixing the basic ingredients. In a large bowl, we combine flour with salt and dry yeast, using a wooden spoon to ensure that the ingredients are well distributed. It is important that the salt does not come into direct contact with the yeast, so we make sure to mix them evenly. After obtaining a homogeneous mixture, we add warm water, and with the help of the spoon, we gently mix 4-5 times until the ingredients are combined and we form a sticky dough.
Once we finish mixing, we cover the bowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, ensuring it is sealed to prevent cold air from entering. It is essential to keep the dough in a place away from drafts and sudden temperature changes; I personally prefer to keep it in the turned-off oven, where the temperature remains constant. We let the dough rise for 14-24 hours, depending on how much time we have available.
The next day, we notice that the dough has risen and puffed up. We use a spoon to remove it from the bowl, being careful not to damage it. It is normal for the dough to be very soft and sticky. We transfer it to a floured surface and, with lightly floured hands, fold it into quarters. After we finish folding, we cover the dough again with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
In the meantime, we prepare the oven. We preheat it to a high temperature, about 260 degrees Celsius, and place a cast iron pot or a stainless steel pot with a lid inside to heat well. After 30 minutes, we carefully take the pot out of the oven and score the dough with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape during baking. We sprinkle a little cornmeal or wheat flour on top of the dough and then carefully transfer it to the hot pot.
We cover the pot with a lid and bake the bread for 30 minutes. After this interval, we remove the lid and let it continue baking for another 15 minutes, so the surface becomes golden and crispy. Once the bread is baked, we take it out of the pot and let it cool on a rack. After about 20 minutes, the bread is cool enough to be sliced. Thus, we can enjoy fresh bread with a crispy crust and a soft crumb, perfect to be savored with butter or various spreads.
